America's forsaking the Word of God

GOD’S SQUAD

This past weekend a group of people watched horrified as a speeding vehicle crashed through barriers and flipped upside down, submerged in the Utah River, with three teenagers inside.

With one spirit, in one accord, this group of people jumped into the turmoil, turned the vehicle right-side-up in the water, and rescued the teens who are reported to be in stable condition.

The event made national news and we celebrate this unified selfless act of saving lives. But isn’t that what Christ called the Church to do—rescue rebellious people from their wrong doings and introduce them to Jesus!

Before the foundation of the world God put in place everything we would need to work in the power of His Holy Spirit to do the work He preordained for each one of us to accomplish. And what better picture could we have than the courageous group from Salt Lake last weekend.

I can’t pick up a car, can you? Of course not, but working together with a single goal and one spirit, these folks saved three disobedient teens from drowning. And that’s our calling—rescuing people from the power of the evil one, wrenching them from the claws of sin, and telling them how Jesus died to save them. Forever.

Ephesians 3:16 tells us every believer, according to the riches of God’s glory, will be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man. So Church, let me ask, where’s our power? Has the Spirit changed? Or are we the rebellious ones, speeding through life, giving no thought to how far we’ve catapulted into the enemy’s camp?

Paul implores us to “…walk in a manner worth of the calling with which we have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3 NIIV).

Well now, that certainly explains our problem, doesn’t it? The Church is called to unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace—Uh oh. Peace in Baptists ranks? Or humble, patient Presbyterians? How about tolerance for one another in love by the Church of God folks? Do I need to continue? Does anyone think there’s going to be a special Southern Baptist section in heaven? Or are Bible Churches going to be given top billing? Of course not. We are all being built-up into one body, in Christ. His body. His bride.

And we wonder why we’re impotent? We’re so full of ourselves and our own agenda. Proud. Arrogant. Selfish. Self-willed. We’ve got it covered. We’re upside-down in the flood waters of life, deprived of the breath of the Spirit destined for death, ‘til the doctor delivers a tragic diagnosis. ‘Til a husband, wife, or child dies. ‘Til another 9/11 and we come face to face with our mortality and insignificant, hopeless state without God.

We skip across the pages of The Word, grabbing a morsel here, a snack there, yet never pausing to let the wonder and glory of the LORD God Almighty fill our soul. That’s not belief. That’s not faith. That’s pride. No wonder we’re in the mess we’re in. Confused, weak, tossed about with name it and claim it philosophies and countless other deceptions which have captured the minds of the Body and carried our hearts to a pagan land. We are prattling children. Unaware. Fiddling while our family, our neighborhood, our nation burns. Just like in the days of Noah.

Hell is the apparent destination for many I know. Many you know. They don’t know Jesus. But we refuse to grasp the urgency of their peril, to open our eyes to the finality and horror of separation from God forever. We refuse to tell them about what Jesus has done in our lives. Or is there nothing to tell? Do we really care about lost folks? Are we complacent, thinking whew, I’m safe. Too bad about them? Good thing the Salt Lake City folks recognized the teens would die if they didn’t act right then and in one accord.

Jesus gave us one assignment. “Go make disciples.” Like those folks jumped into the river with no thought for their comfort, their safety, their appearance. With a unified voice we must break down those embassies of hell entrenched in every city and town in our nation. And yank those held in the fierce jaws of Satan into the Ark of the Lord Jesus Christ. We can’t save them, God does, but we are responsible for the yanking, telling, loving, and nurturing them to hope and healing in the unity of the Spirit in Christ Jesus.

If we come to our senses, see their danger and ours, and come together in the only Holy Spirit of the Lord, the same power that fell at Pentecost will sweep across this nation with purifying wind and fire, saving multitudes, and the Holy Spirit will revive, rejuvenate, and transform the Church.

It’s our choice. Yours and mine—one saved sinner at a time–To repent and walk in a manner worthy of our calling or continue grieving the Spirit of God.

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Ephesians 1:18-19 NIIV).

6 Responses

I live in a small town with churches that number in double digits. Yet a ministerial alliance for the pastors has never lasted more than a year and, even then, only a fraction of the pastors participated. That just amazes me that the leaders can’t come together – as if one denomination has – as you said – its own heaven section. You would think the (supposed) common goal would prevail!

Yes, you’d think, Shel. And I don’t hear from many pulpits a call to study the Word for yourselves and apply it to your life each day. If God is the same yesterday, today, and forever you’d think folks would be smart enough to connect the dots. Let’s see, drought in one section, floods in another, fires in yet another place…foreign intruders infiltrating and carrying God’s people captive. All to get His chosen ones to return to Him.

Why should folks without Christ desire Him when they look at us and we behave just like those outside the church?

It’s time to fall on our knees, repent, and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Before it’s too late.

But you know, Katharine, God’s requirements for us aren’t multiple choice. One day while studying, it dawned on me, the verse says: “The fruit of the Spirit is…” not the fruits are. We can’t pick and choose.

Some of those pieces of fruit are easy for me. The one marked “patience” isn’t. The one marked “gentleness” not so much. But I’m required to allow the Spirit of God to work in my heart and change me. And that’s what this life here is all about, God transforming each one of His children to be just like Jesus as Jesus is the exact image of God.

It’s all right there in His Word. I’ve never seen a nationwide revival. I think it’s been over 100 years. How I long and pray for the Spirit of God captivate the hearts of the people and turn this nation around and back to God.

DiAne is an artist, writer, photographer, and GriefShare facilitator who also leads an adult edit group for North Texas Christian Writers, LifeSavers is for adults who are serious about their writing skills.
DiAne's YA novel "Roped" released by Prism Book Group was named a YA finalist for the Grace Awards, finaled in The Christian Literary Henri Awards for 2016, and was named #5 in The Top Ten Christian Reads for Teens and Tweens 2016.
The second book, TWISTED, in the Roped Series was released by Pelican Book Group, July 14, 2017. Both are available on Amazon.com. Be sure to check DiAne's blog, "Moving the Ancient Boundaries" at https://dianegates.wordpress.com/